


absence makes the heart grow fonder

by mypinkukulele



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Brainwashing, F/M, Hogwarts, Kidnapping, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Hogwarts, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:08:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mypinkukulele/pseuds/mypinkukulele
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.' When Harry Potter ventures into the Chamber of Secrets to save the youngest Weasley, Riddle's Portkey drags her into the unknown as she disappears without a trace. Even if she's found after years of being kidnapped, what condition will she be in? Their story is one of loss, love, and recovery (however temporary it may be).</p>
            </blockquote>





	absence makes the heart grow fonder

_prologue_

“The Heir of Slytherin,” said Professor McGonagall, thin lips tighter than either Harry or Ron had ever seen, “left another message. Right underneath the first one. ‘Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.’”

It was almost hard to hear the questions Madam Hooch poised next due to Professor Flitwick’s noisy tears. “Who is it? Which student?”

Harry could’ve sworn his Transfiguration professor’s voice cracked when she finally answered, “Ginny Weasley.”

* * *

The searing pain in his arm when he had broken it during the Quidditch game was nothing compared to what he was experiencing now. The basilisk fang seemed to be a kilometer long, and was swallowed by his bicep as Harry struggled (and failed) to remain upright as the fang splintered and the huge serpent dropped to the floor and became still.

Yanking the obtrusive object from his arm and dropping it, Harry Potter could tell he was done for. As awful as he knew it was, the way the chamber was drifting in and out of focus and the new-found fuzziness in his brain was a welcome change from the blinding terror he’d experienced for the past ten minutes. The whoosh of air he had come to know as Fawkes signaled his approach.

“Fawkes,” Harry sighed, “you were fantastic, Fawkes…” The barely-there pressure of the bird’s head on his wound was welcomed.

Riddle’s voice echoed around the grimy, dim chamber. “You’re dead, Harry Potter. Dead. Even Dumbledore’s bird knows it. Do you see what he’s doing, Potter?” the cold voice mocked. “He’s crying. I’m going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter,” Riddle said with disturbing relish. “Take your time. I’m in no hurry. My Portkey can wait.” Harry groggily blinked at the unfamiliar term. “So ends the famous Harry Potter…. Alone in the chamber, forsaken by friends-”

Harry started at that, but was unable to do much more than raise his head and attempt a glare at the blurry shape he presumed to be his enemy.

Tom grinned; no, he bared his teeth. The expression was too twisted to be a grin. “Defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged,” he plundered on. “You’ll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry….”

The thought was actually comforting. The pain was leaving him by the second.

“She bought you twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must… get away, bird,” Riddle’s voice changed from the sickeningly-sweet pride to sudden shrill anger. “Get away from him-- I said, get away--” The twelve-year-old saw Riddle point his own wand at the phoenix and with a bang, Fawkes had taken flight.

Riddle’s face was inscrutable. “Phoenix tears… of course, healing powers… I forgot…. But it makes no difference,” he said simply, a smile gracing his handsome features once more. Harry would have felt well enough then to stand up if he wasn’t paralyzed with ice-cold fear once again. “In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me….”

Harry refused to give Riddle the satisfaction of a reaction and made sure his own face was a blank mask of indifference. As Riddle draw the wand, Fawkes had returned and plopped the leather-bound diary in Harry’s lap before swooping again out of sight. The entire Chamber stilled, and then--

Riddle lunged to Ginny Weasley’s limp body and thrust a long spindly hand into the pocket of her robes; simultaneously, Harry picked up discarded basilisk fang and swung it down to impale the small, seemingly harmless book. The diary was destroyed at the exact moment Riddle found what he was looking for.

The piercing scream was still echoing around the Chamber now void of two out of its three guests. The only sounds were made by Harry’s heaving lungs and the ink pulsing out of the small leather book.

* * *

 

**AN: hey guys! thanks for reading and please kudos/drop a review!**

_**sources: dialogue and scenes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, chapter seventeen** _


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